Is Grey's Anatomy set to flatline after season 18? That's the question on everyone's mind.
Now more so than ever, in fact, after Ellen Pompeo wore one of Meredith Grey's first-ever outfits in the Sept. 30 season 18 premiere. For instance, one fan commented on Twitter after the episode aired, "This is very much giving 'Ellen is leaving the show soon' vibes."
Agreed another, "I have a feeling it's the end...When I saw that shirt and that you wore in Minnesota, it reminded me of Cristina going to Switzerland. I'll miss the show but it's time the earlier seasons were the best."
And so, during Pompeo's Oct. 7 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, host Jimmy Kimmel asked what the deal was with that throwback.
With a little smile, Pompeo confirmed that it is the same shirt from the pilot, adding, "I think [the Grey's costuming department] hung on to it. All that stuff is property of ABC Studios."
"It was my idea to pay homage to many things in many different seasons," she explained, refusing to take the bait on whether it was a nod to the show's end being in sight. "And to give the audience things to watch out for."
Yet, when Kimmel accused her of being "sentimental," she hit back, "I'm not sentimental at all."
Even though the Easter egg idea was her pitch, Pompeo teased that even she's been surprised by some of the callbacks. "I even look for them," she concluded. "Because it was just my idea, I didn't necessarily say let's do this and this. I wasn't specific about it."
The next Easter egg to look out for? Grey's is set to reintroduced Kate Walsh's Dr. Addison Montgomery in the Oct. 14 episode.
"I'm Dr. Addison Montgomery," the neonatal surgeon said in a recent teaser. "And you must be the group that's been screwing up the program."
We're gonna need a crash cart, because we are just too excited for Walsh's return!
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.